30th September 2005 Contact: Melissa Blamey on 01494 735720 e-mail mblamey@nhbc.co.uk SOUTH EAST S BEST BUILDERS NAMED IN HOUSE BUILDING OSCARS Attention new homebuyers award winning site managers building in your area! Following months of suspense, NHBC has named the South East region s best site managers in the house building industry s Oscars - NHBC s Pride in the Job awards. The Seal of Excellence winners have beaten over 18,000 contenders to be placed in the UK s top 100 site managers, for building the best quality new homes and managing their site to very high standards. Judging takes place all year round and to win an award site managers must demonstrate outstanding levels of workmanship, good leadership skills, technical expertise, good health and safety control and overall a real commitment to building quality new homes. From the 23 Seal of Excellence winners, three site managers have been selected as Regional Award winners. These three winners will go through to the overall UK final and compete for a UK Supreme Award at the prestigious nation-wide grand final in January 2006. Representing the South East region in the Pride in the Job grand final are: Christopher Strong from Halstead in Essex won the Regional Award in the small to medium builder category for his new homes site Woodlands Park, Great Dunmow in Essex. Currently working for Wickford Development Company, Christopher started out as a bricklayer, and several years of being self-employed, Christopher became a site manager. A keen golf player in his spare time, he says his key strength is working with people and getting the best out of them. Winning a PIJ award he says is credit to the team and the company. Page 1 of 5
Danny Orvis, 46, from Lawford in Essex, won the Regional Award in the large builder category for his new homes site Heathlands, Winstree Road, Stanway in Colchester, Essex. Danny is proud to win the PIJ award and says it has given him a great feeling of achievement knowing that his skills and effort have been recognised. Danny has been with Persimmon Homes for 17 years and spends his spare time renovating a large, old family home. Michael Dent from London won the Regional Award in the multistorey builder category for his site Capital East (Phase 1) Royal Victoria Docks in London. Michael has notched up 40 years in the building sector. Michael spent 28 years of his career working in Australia and the Far East, before returning to England in 2002 and joining Barratt East London. Michael says this award means a lot to him, because despite building a number of prize-winning developments around the world, this is his first personal award. Richard Hartshorn, NHBC Regional Director and Chairman of the Pride in the Job national judging panel says: To win a Pride in the Job award at this level is an incredible achievement. It takes a massive amount of commitment and enthusiasm to come top out of 18,000 site managers. The good news for new homebuyers is that our Pride in the Job awards encourage site managers to do a better and better job by rewarding those who excel in all aspects of their work, from the construction of the home to how they manage their team. The result is high quality new homes from foundations through to the finished product. All 23 South East Seal of Excellence winners announced at the awards lunch in Birmingham were chosen from 80 site managers who won first stage Quality Awards in July. Ends Page 2 of 5
Notes to editors: Names of the 23 Seal of Excellence winners for the West region are attached. A photo of the winning site managers are available on request e-mail mblamey@nhbc.co.uk Pride in the Job Awards are made in three builder categories: a) Large - site manager for a company or group of companies with an annual output of more than 300 homes a year. b) Small to Medium site manager for a company or group of companies with an annual output of less than 300 homes a year. c) Multi storey - site manager in either of the above categories on structures above 3 storeys. NHBC is the leading warranty and insurance provider for new homes in the UK. NHBC s primary purpose is to raise standards in the new house-building industry and provide consumer protection for new house buyers. Page 3 of 5
Pride in the Job Seal of Excellence Winners 2005 South East Region Site Manager Site Address Organisation Colm Gallagher Centrium Woking Victoria Woking, Surrey Ardmore Construction Ltd Road/Station Approach Keith May Visage Swiss Cottage London Barratt East London Michael Dent Capital East Royal Victoria London Barratt East London (Phase 1) Docks Paul Robinson The Crescent @ Thamesmead London Barratt East London Thames Walk Mark Fendi Iconica West Ealing London Barratt Homes West London Ltd Scott Newton Linden Fields Linden Gardens Tunbridge Wells, Kent Bellway Homes Thames Gateway South Ltd Frank Sime Chelsea Bridge Queenstown Road London Berkeley Homes (Central London) Ltd Wharf Nick Brasier Building 50 Royal Arsenal Woolwich, London Berkeley Homes (East Thames) Ltd Paul Hatfield Building 36 Royal Arsenal Woolwich, London Berkeley Homes (East Thames) Ltd Brian John Oatley Tempus Wharf London Berkeley Homes (South East London) Ltd Colin Piggott Cherry Trees Park Sittinbourne Kent Bovis Homes South East Ltd Terry Smith Taylors Yard Howlett End, Wimbish Saffron Walden, Essex Chase End Developments Ltd Page 4 of 5
Rodney Osborne Morrells Green Takeley Essex David Wilson Homes Eastern Ltd Michael Leonard Estuary Housing, Great Dunmow Essex E J Taylor & Sons Ltd Simper Woodlands Park Robert James Paygate Maidstone Kent Groombridge Properties Ltd George Coleman Chatsworth Strand Sovereign Harbour Eastbourne, Sussex Jones Homes (Southern) Ltd Andrew Prentice Salter Court Colchester Essex McCarthy & Stone North London Ltd Danny Orvis Heathlands Winstree Road Stanway, Colchester, Persimmon Homes (Essex) Ltd Essex George Pinto Park Gate 71 Plaistow Lane Bromley, Kent Portland Homes Plc Paul Steele Discovery Dock London Shepherd Construction Ltd James Gaffney St Georges Wharf - 2-26 Wandsworth Vauxhall, London St George South London Ltd Blocks H & J Road Rod Kilby Abbotts Wharf Stainsby Road London Telford Homes Plc Christopher Strong Woodlands Park Great Dunmow Essex Wickford Development Company Ltd Page 5 of 5